Just one week after our engagement and I’m already in the early stages of planning and (sometimes) panic. But I’m still loving it.
Monday morning, I was looking at dresses online with my best friend. Monday afternoon I was talking to churches about prices, rules, etc. Thursday, Phil and I went on our first tour through Bed, Bath, and Beyond. A phone call from my grandmother prompted the trip. She wanted to know what colors we had in mind for our future home. I’ve been engaged for less than a week! I don’t even know where we’ll be living yet, and you want me to give you a freaking color scheme? But realizing that we hope to marry in a mere seven months, Phil and I set out to explore the store.
Towels. Towels seem easy enough. But towels at Bed, Bath, and Beyond were another story. Huge shelves reaching from ceiling to floor with columns of hundreds of different colors, brands, textures, prices….endless options. An exciting sight when one is shopping for a friend. Print registry, locate brand, find color, select size, purchase, watch sales associate beautifully gift wrap. But when one must choose her own towels…”Midnight” blue and “Pewter” gray were our selections…and they were pretty much the only decision that we made that night. We made our way through the remainder of the store by just browsing, and then we escaped to the much safer, far less intimidating Borders next door.
Friday provided even more excitement. Our first visit to a potential location for the ceremony was all that we had on the agenda. First Presbyterian Church in Flint, Michigan, is one of the most beautiful buildings that I have ever seen. This gorgeous church is situated in the midst of the downtown area.
Saturday was my favorite day. We spent the afternoon taking engagement pictures in a lovely park in downtown Fenton. The weather was perfect for it. Here are just a few…
But in spite of the fun and excitement at all of this, everything still points to one question: How are we going to pay for all of this?
Little girls dream of their wedding day…I didn’t, but most little girls do. They want that big, beautiful wedding with ten bridesmaids and the thirty foot train. Their daddy will walk them down the aisle in a perfectly decorated church, and they will marry Prince Charming in the most beautiful ceremony…with birds singing and little woodland creatures frolicking about…
What they don’t tell you is how expensive all of that is. The dresses, the tuxedoes, the decorations, the food, the woodland creatures….it all costs money. A lot of money!
So, now we reach the tough part. How will we pay for all of this? What will we cut to make it more affordable? Is pizza an option for the reception?
These are the questions that plague the bride and groom to be. These are what can make one’s wedding day a living hell. But I’m ready for it. Sacrifices will be made, but it will be beautiful…perfect…however it turns out.
One week in…
Why I Got Married 